Hardin County, IA
Infant daycare in Hardin County, IA costs $161 per week ($8,370 per year) for center-based care, and $106 per week for family daycare. With a median household income of $64,656, the childcare burden is 12.9% of income. This is below the national median of $174/wk.
Cost Breakdown by Age Group
| Age Group | Center/Wk | Center/Yr | Family/Wk | Family/Yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant (0-1) | $161 | $8,370 | $106 | $5,500 |
| Toddler (1-2) | $139 | $7,213 | $104 | $5,410 |
| Preschool (3-5) | $139 | $7,213 | $104 | $5,410 |
| School-Age (6+) | $111 | $5,770 | $101 | $5,229 |
Hardin County Childcare FAQ
Center-based infant care in Hardin County costs $161 per week ($8,370 per year). Family-based infant care costs $106 per week ($5,500 per year). Data from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices.
The Childcare Burden Index for Hardin County is 12.9%, rated "Moderate". This means a family earning the median income of $64,656 would spend about 12.9% of their income on infant center-based childcare.
The national median weekly infant center care cost is $174. Hardin County at $161/wk is 7% below the national median. Annualized, infant center care in Hardin County costs $8,370 per year.
In Hardin County, IA, the most affordable option is typically family-based (home) daycare. Infant family daycare costs $106/wk compared to $161/wk for center-based. For preschool-age children, family daycare is $104/wk vs $139/wk at a center. School-age after-care is the least expensive category at $101/wk (family) or $111/wk (center).
Read the Iowa guide
Statewide cost trends, subsidies, tax credits, daycare alternatives, and how to afford daycare in Iowa.
Daycare Cost in Iowa 2026: A Complete Guide for Parents →More Counties in IA
Childcare costs are weekly median prices from the DOL. Burden Index = annual infant center care / median household income.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. childcare prices dataset. The detail above comes directly from the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. counties.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the DOL National Database of Childcare Prices portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. counties with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Childcare Prices, 2026.